PORT OF SPAIN, Trinidad – President of the National Trade Union Centre (NATUC), Michael Anisette, yesterday warned the six-month old People’s Partnership government to be prepared for industrial unrest next year as unions rejected a five per cent wage increase being offered to workers.
Anisette, who led workers from 20 trade unions through the streets of the capital, said the Kamla Persad -Bissessar government should take note that yesterday’s demonstration was to show solidarity with all workers who have been offered a five per cent wage hike by the government.
He said that the 20 unions, some of whom represent government employees, would continue to fight for better wages.
“This is just the smoke; the fire is behind. You can rest assured that the National Trade Union Centre and the 20 unions that are part of our centre will be struggling daily in support of our just call . . . in support of decent wages. This struggle will escalate in 2011 very early,” Anisette said.
The labour leader said that the government had to maintain the purchasing power of the workers and that five per cent increase would not work.
“Five per cent is starvation wages, five per cent is taking us back to slavery. The Central Statistical Office said over the last three years the cost of living has risen
to as much as 16 per cent and if the government is only offering five per cent they are not addressing the purchasing power of workers in this country.”
Watson Duke, president of the Public Service Association (PSA) that has been staging various demonstrations here in support of higher wages, said that on January 4, public workers would not be reporting for work.
The PSA has rejected the five per cent hike offered to its members and has been using a weekly radio programme to tell the Persad-Bissessar government that it would look towards shutting down the entire public service next year.
The government has already said that it cannot meet the demands of the unions.
(CMC)